SITTING SPIRITUALLY - Key Persons
Alex joined us in 2013. Having spent a number of years since leaving school working within the construction industry, he decided to return to his roots. So he set up a workshop back in 2011, building bespoke kitchens and furniture and is now a member of the Sitting Spiritually Team, specialising in our Swinging Day Beds and Pergolas.
Having known Martin for 30 years, Bob now runs the workshop at Sitting Spiritually HQ and liaises with all the makers, making sure they have everything they need for each individual commission. During his spare time, he loves walking, art, gardening and visiting Cornwall where he has family.
Job Titles:
- Co - Director
- Co - Founder
Celia is co-founder and co-director of Sitting Spiritually. In the early days, she was the sole cushion maker. She now shares that responsibility and helps organise with Maisie Shannon.
Greg worked alongside his father, Nick Shannon in the woodwork trade. Greg's relationship with Sitting Spiritually has been a somewhat family affair. From the birth of Sitting Spiritually back in 2004 his Dad began taking on commissions alongside his own work (which he now concentrates on) and Greg became a full time Sitting Spiritually Maker at his workshop in Seatown, Chideock
James has twelve years of furniture making and design experience. After moving to Devon he started working for a local furniture maker through which he met Martin and soon became involved with Sitting Spiritually. As well as being a maker James now works closely with us producing new designs and bespoke commissions.
Maisie is a very successful seamstress and used to share the making of all our cushions with Celia, but she now makes them exclusively herself. Maisie lives in Bridport with a workshop in the beautiful village of Symondsbury.
Founder Martin Young created the very first Sitting Spiritually swing seat in 2004 in a small workshop in Devon. Since then, the company is approaching 3000 commissions to some of the finest gardens in the UK.
A Tool Maker by Trade, Neil moved to the Devon/Dorset border in 1992 from London and lives very rurally with his wife, Siobhan, who works closely with Martin, & they have an assortment of animals and a very large garden that keep them both busy. He became our rope swing maker in 2010 & makes the rope swings from his Workshop at his home, in an idyllic & tucked away location in Devon.
Known to us all as "Woodscott" Scott has been working with Sitting Spiritually for about eight years now, after meeting Siobhan while exhibiting his work at the Axe Vale Festival. He has been working with wood since he left school 25 years ago. He then took an apprenticeship in a joinery shop in Chertsey Surrey. Since then he has worked in all aspects of carpentry & joinery.
Siobhan helps Martin run the company & also takes care of all the PR. She has been with Sitting Spiritually for over fourteen years, she's long overdue a long service medal...
Martin first met Steve in 1998 when they were neighbours in Dorset and quickly discovered what a skill set as a master joiner he possesses. During the early days of the business Steve came into the small workshop to assist and we were at the time commissioned to produce a rather special carving. Suffice to say the quality that Steve produced was exemplary and means that he is still our go to carver of superior images such as on The RHS Four Seasons Bench. He now has an exceptional workshop of his own where he is very much an established maker for us.
Having graduated from Lyme Regis boat building academy, Tom has been working alongside Woodscott since 2016. Taking inspiration from the beautiful Dorset countryside, he has a passion for all things traditionally handcrafted.